Before I Leave
by just.a.thought96
Summary: Jinx had some hard times before she left for New York. Here are a few. Chapter 1 contains one use of moderate language, in a non-offensive term.
1. Chapter 1

Before I Leave-Jinx

_Jinx- before she left home, she went through some tough times. Here's a handful.  
Again, thank you to Lizzie for Beta reading. Sun-bathing on the close- :D  
Disclaimer: I do not own Jinx, or the book. However, Lilly is mine. _

I stared at my laptop. _Access Denied?_ Again? This was the third time this week. My password wasn't being accepted, and I didn't understand why. I tried again. _Bing._ Finally! My bright yellow background smiled up at me. I relaxed slightly, but the moment my hand hit the keyboard, the entire computer shut down. _WHAT? _I stared at the laptop in front of me. Suddenly, the scent of burning filled my nose. It took me a second to realise that black smoke was pouring out of the back of what was once my laptop. _Shit. _I panicked, trying to waft away the smoke.

"Help!" I yelled. "HELP!" However, I was sat at the table in the library furthest from the desk, and the librarian was an eighty something partially deaf woman. I was also the only person in the library. The smoke was becoming thicker and thicker, and I could what seemed to be flames licking the side of the computer. I looked around desperately for anything that I could put the fire out with, Aha! An extinguisher. I grabbed it, pulled out the stop and let loose. Eventually, I could see no more flames, and I stopped spraying white foam everywhere. I put the great blue canister down. My computer was well and truly covered in thick white foam.

"Are you alright, dear?" the old librarian called out.

"Yes thank you, I'm fine," I called back, totally baffled by the fact that she seemed to be ignorant to the scene that had just evolved. I looked back to my laptop, and shook my head. I pulled out my phone and rang Lilly, my best friend. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked. She was chewing gum, a typical Lilly thing to do.

"Hi," I replied. "I have a problem, I'm in the library and-" she cut me off.

"Seriously, Jay," I hated it when she called me that. "What the hell are you doing in the library? It's _Friday. _And school has finished! Go home! Or, if you can't stand that, come here. I have the new Saw film, and we can watch that!" She sounded so enthusiastic.

"Lilly, please, _please _don't call me Jay, you know I hate it." I ignored her comment about the library.

"Well, what would you like me to call you? Jinx?" She crossed a line by mentioning that, and she knew it.

"I'm sorry, but you hate your name, and I'm constantly trying to think of names for you." She sounded apologetic.

"I know, it's ok. I've just had a tad of a strange experience that's all." I replied.

"Oh! Duh. Sorry. You're in the library. What happened?" She was serious now.

"Well, my laptop, it kinda-uh, um, exploded?" It sounded like a question, but it wasn't supposed to. There was a moment pause before Lilly cursed.

"Ok, you wait there. I'm coming to get you and take you home. Wait! Do you still have the laptop?" She inquired.

"What's left of it, yeah." I replied.

"What's that?"

"A pile of hot stuff with a hell of a lot of ash. And it smells." Lilly went very quiet.

"On second thoughts," She said after a moment, "I'll get my dad to give us a lift. He can help with the laptop." I breathed a sigh of relief, and smiled. It was typical of Lilly not to want a burnt up laptop and her manic, luck-repelling best friend in the back of her convertible Saab. Then again, who would?

"Ok, see you in a few." I hung up, and began gathering my stuff. Luckily, only my laptop was 'damaged', an understatement, as all my school books had been in my bag under the table. I picked up my bag, found an empty plastic bag (a strong one, thank God) and swept the remains of the computer into it. I then put my bag on my shoulder, and left the crime scene without backwards glance.


	2. Chapter 2

Before I Leave

2

**A/N: **_Sorry for the wait, basically I typed up the entire chapter and then lost it, so had to completely re-type it. But, hopefully they will be steady now!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Jinx. I do, however, own Lilly. _

It was Thursday lunchtime. I was sat with Lilly, who was babbling about something or another, about a new hot guy in some British film. I couldn't care less, even if she was adamant that this guy was the next George Clooney. I nodded along to Lilly, absent-mindedly grabbing my bottle of water, turning the cap. Obviously, I was holding it too tight. The water exploded out of the bottle, spraying water all over me like there was a firework inside. Lilly was stunned into silence (a miracle, I tell you) as the room turned to stare at us.

"Lilly," I hissed, "Close your _mouth"_. She quickly snapped her jaw shut, but not before the _charming_ Charlie Southgale walked past, sneering at me as she went:

"Way to go, _Jinx._" I stared after her, watching as her brown head sashayed out the door. No one called me Jinx.

"Well, she's a bitch." Lilly said simply. This set me off, and soon we were both in absolute hysterics. Eventually, I calmed down, and gave myself a once over. My jeans were soaked and my tee-shirt was on the edge of being inappropriate (white+ water. Not good.).

"Uh, Lilly," I said. Lilly had stopped laughing, but a smile still sat on her lips.

"Do you have spare clothes I could borrow?" Lilly always had at least four outfits in school, but still, it took a moment for her to decide.

"Well, I have a skirt and a top, but they aren't particularly your taste." I didn't care, as I was becoming increasingly embarrassed due to the fact that my current clothing wasn't leaving much to the imagination.

"Fine, fine, fine." I said. "But can we please go _now?_" I said urgently.

"Sure, aren't you hungry?" Lilly was being surprisingly oblivious to the state into which I was gradually declining.

"No, Lil, I'm not hungry. Let's go!" I said.

"Okay! Okay! Jeesh, no need to get stressy." She said.

When I stepped out of the bathroom fifteen minutes, tugging at every hem I could find, Lilly applauded, but stopped as she took in the ensemble.

"Shit, Jay, you look hot!" She exclaimed, her eyes bulging. Lilly, being the fashion fanatic that she is, had handed over what she called a skirt. It was mid thigh, multi-layered grey taffeta with a tie belt. The top was slightly more to my taste, but still a mile off. It was a black, long sleeved and fitted me so tightly it felt like Lycra. It had buttons up the sleeves, which were a little too long for my arms. Along with my bomber jacket, the patterned tights and my converses, I looked like I belonged to the circus.

"Seriously, babe, you look really good." Lilly insisted.

"Look, can we please just go to class? I don't want to be late." I said.

"Sure," she said, already taking off down the hall to her locker. "See you later, hot stuff!"

**A/N**: _Maybe it's not much of an incident, but it was came to a natural end. Please review!_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

_Again, sorry about the wait, I've got loads of stories in the mill and haven't had a chance to type this, hope you like it!_

_I dedicate this to my mum. She knows what this is like._

_**A/N: **__(sing to the tune of 'Happy Birthday' (which I also don't own, by the way)_

_I do not own Jinx,  
I do not own Jinx  
I do own Lilly  
But I just don't own Jinx!_

"Don't forget class," Mr. Samson (my Trig teacher) sneered at the end of the lesson, "Tomorrow you have a test. I've made it _extra _hard, so I will know who hasn't revised." I groaned inwardly. I really did not want to revise that night, I had a concert the next day and wanted to rehearse so I was confident with the piece. As I meandered into the hallway, wrapped in my own thoughts, Lilly decided that it would be a good idea to surprise me, by running up behind me and pushing me. It would have been fine, if it wasn't for the fact that: a) it's me we're talking about, b) at exactly the same time I tripped on my own feet and c) my hands were in my pockets. So, as Lilly made me jump, I tripped, managed to get one hand out of the pocket before I landed hand first on the hard concert floor.

"Crap!" I yelled, holding my hand. It was absolutely throbbing, as it had taken the full impact of my fall.

"Oh my god!" Lilly screeched. We, once again, had managed to grab the attention of the entire student body that were now crowded around Lilly and I as if we were animals in a zoo enclosure.

"Oh my God!" Lilly repeated. "Are you alright? I'm so sorry!" She gushed.

"Lil, Its fine. Just a twist-ow!" I muttered, as I tried to move it. At that moment, our tall, stalk like headmistress came pushing through the crowd, which parted like the red sea.

"What on earth is going on?" she said, looking down at me cradling my hand and Lilly crouched next to me.

"What have you done now, Jean?" She said, sounding tired. I didn't blame her; I was always getting myself into trouble.

"Oh, it's nothing, I tripped." I said, and I saw Mrs Dumrod (that was her name, seriously) sigh.

"Well then, Lilly, take Jean to the nurse, and everyone else get moving to your class." With that she left, and all the people around us dispersed.

"Come on Jay," Lilly said, and she helped me up. I winced when I jostled my wrist.

-o-

Two hours, a dose of morphine and an hour wait in ER later; I stormed up to my room and slammed the door.

"Jean, darling, come out!" my mother coaxed from the other side of the door.

"Go away!" I said. Basically, in breaking my fall, I had fractured my radius. Great, some may say. Not really. It meant that I couldn't play the violin, but I could write. My bad luck was showing itself again, but this time I was fuming. I really wanted to play in the concert the next day, there were scouts from Julliard coming and I was playing first violin. And, to top it all off, Charlie Southgale was playing second and therefore had to replace me. As if this day could get any worse.

"Jean, honey, I rang the orchestra conductor, what's his name, Mr Toller? Yes, that's it! I rang him and told him that you wouldn't be able to play tomorrow because of your wrist. He sends his condolences and says it's a shame that you won't be able to play." Mom called through the door. I pulled it open to come face to face with her. She jumped back, and I gave her a questioning look.

"I wasn't sure if you were alright," she said, and I sighed.

"Mom, I'm fine. I'm just really irritated that I can't play."I said. The only thing good that had come out of this event was that the Doctor who had treated me had told me to take the day off school tomorrow, which meant I got to miss the Trig test.

"Ok," my mom said after a moment. "Just to make sure. Dinner's at eight, ok?"

-o-

I woke up numerous times in the night, my arm causing bullets of pain to shoot up it. I was outstandingly glad that I had the day off school; I planned to spend most of the day sleeping.

So when my mother woke me up at seven in the morning, I was rather confused and a little angry.

"Darling, I'm sorry to wake you, but your father's car has broken down and I have to drop him at work then drive right out of town to the tow place." She explained.

"Uh, so? Can't I just stay in bed?" I asked.

"Well, I'm afraid not. I won't be back until late afternoon and the doctor told you not to cook so you wouldn't have lunch." I didn't like where this was going.

"So I need to drop you at school. I've already told the sectary at school that you will be in. How's your arm?" She rushed. I felt the colour drain from face.

"No. Mom, you cannot make me go to school. I'll be fine without lunch, honest." I said, ignoring her question. She just shook her head.

"I really don't think that you should be here by yourself in your condition. I want you to go to school."

"NOO! Please, mom, I really am fine here, I'm only going to sleep. Please, please, _please _let me stay." I pleaded, but to no avail.

"Jean, you are going and that is final. I know that your arm hurts, but you heard the doctor, you can write so I see no reason to stop you going." She had a look in her eye that said, _"Push it anymore and an extra twenty dollars will go to your sister this month." _

"Oh my god! This is so unfair. Fine. I'll go, but don't say I didn't tell you when I re-fracture my arm or get put in detention for falling asleep in the middle of class." I said attitude seeping through my words.

-o-

It was only when I got to school, looking damn awful and dishevelled, that I remembered the Trig test.

"Shit!" I muttered eyes wide as I dug through my bag to find my textbook.

"Shit!" I repeated, as I realised it wasn't there.

"Hey, Jay! I thought you weren't coming in today?" Lilly bounded up to me, smiling. Her smile quickly dropped as she realised my panicked expression.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Trig textbook, no revision!" I stuttered. Mr Samson put everyone in detention who forgot their textbook, and I had forgotten mine and hadn't revised.

"Uh-oh. And Trig is first period! How are you going to pass?" Lilly said.

"I DON'T KNOW!" I yelled startling a bird perched by where we were sitting. Just at that moment the bell rang.

"Oh well," said Lilly, "time to face the music. You'll be fine. And hey! It's only one detention."

-o-

That's what I told myself at the end on the day, with five detentions (Forgetting my trig textbook, failing the trig test, falling asleep in English, being late for Biology because I fell asleep at lunch break and for being there when Lilly slapped Charlie Southgale (and laughing at it).) .

And my arm still hurt.

_**A/N: **__If you want to know what Jinx did to her arm, she snapped the tip off her distal radius which then shattered and lodged itself in the joint. She had it operated on and had a plate put in, but was admitted under a day case, hence why she got to go home. _


	4. Chapter 4 Note

DEAREST LOVELY PEOPLE WHO READ THIS STORY,

Firstly, please forgive me for the lack of writing, I really love the fact that this story has been of interest to you lot, and for that I send massive thanks your way.

Basically the reason I haven't been writing this story is because I have completely run out of ideas, many times I have sat down to write and just gabble and rubbish have dirtied my keyboard.

THEREFORE

I am perfectly happy to continue with this story, but I really need some ideas! Review, message me, whatever, I want this to carry on and would appreciate every single ounce of help you feel you can muster.

Thanks for being so patient with me, and please help me out!

MAJOR cyber-cookies and a special surprise for those who inspire!

xoxo


	5. HELLO THERE

GOOD MORNING!

You have all probably lost complete faith in me by now, so please hear me out here!

I AM RETURNING

This story has had so much interest, and I haven't updated in a very, very long time-

HOWEVER

I have a chapter idea and will upload it THIS MONDAY at the latest. I will then let you know when the next chapter comes out, and I promise that by the 17th April you will have not one, not two but THREE new chapters to 'Before I Leave.'

Now I am very happy to just carry this on as a set of drabbles and this is my plan, so if I fall out of practice YET AGAIN, then I can easily come back to it. What do you think?

I hope you are all doing wonderfully, I am very sorry for the absence but I hate it when stories aren't updated in ages and especially as it has received so much good attention I feel it my duty to keep you up to date!

So at two in the morning, the next chapter of 'Before I Leave' is on its way! I hope you all have lovely evenings, or nights, or days if you are from my country. Its too early for logistics.

xxx


	6. Chapter 6

Before I Leave

_As promised, here is the next instalment! The next chapter will be out thursday __Evening!_

_Little Bit More Language, Please be aware._

_**Disclaimer: **__I do not own Jinx. I own Lilly. _

Lilly was so absurdly excited about this.

'Eeee Jay aren't you excited! Are you excited? I am so excited!' She was literally breaking my hand with the force that she was holding it. Lilly was not a enthusiast in anything, apart from theatre.

Which was why, when for one of the first times in our lives some musical or another came to our small town, she freaked out. And dragged me with her on the night.

Hence the current location.

'Jeeaaannn come on! Tell me, are you excited?' Lilly was about two inches from my face.

'Yes, Lil, I am-'

'Eeeeee! Its going to be so great!' Lilly began to chatter away about the production we were about to see, which, I have to admit, I had already forgotten the name of. But still, I was here for her. I settled into my seat and began to day-dream whilst Lil rambled on for a little longer about the actual place it was set, somewhere in Paris. When the lights began to dim, Lil squealed again, again clamping my hand in a vice grip. I winced.

'Here we go!' Lilly half whispered to me.

-0-

An hour and a half later, after a flash-bang end to a first act that was predominatly opera singers wailing about chandeliers, I stood up and stretched.

'Are we going to the candy place?' I yawned at Lilly. She looked mildly offended.

'What? We cannot leave our seats!' Lilly indignantly replied.

'Why not?'

'Why not? Jay, the best things happen at intermissions. I saw this one thing on the internet where during the intermission the cast came into the audience and started chatting to the members left. Someone got a job that way, Jay, there is no way I am moving. Plus, it's like a fricking death trap out there. Nope, I'm staying right here.' Lilly crossed her arms decisively.

'Well I'm going. When you die because that chandelier explodes again, know why I left.' I walked away, heading towards the candy bar. Unfortunately, Lil had been correct in her 'death-trap' description- I was punched in the face twice on the way to buy a bar of chocolate. I had assumed that this was to be expected, I never failed to go an evening, heck an hour, without injuring myself, or someone else, or breaking something. It was a miracle I had gotten this far. But at least it was over now. I could relax into the next two hours of screeching and ballet. When I returned to my seat, Lilly was still eye-balling the theatre for the astray actor she would undoubtedly corner, and probably eat in her desire to be a theatre junkie.

'Any luck?' I said.

'No.' She sounded desponent, as she reached for a chocolate drop.

'Ah-ah, no way. You made me go into that myself. See, it pays to leave your seat.' I smugly threw a handful of drops into my mouth.

'Well you were wrong, at least I survived. Chandliers still in tact, love.' She grumbled.

'For the time being. Still another half to go. Could happen, 'boom'…' I smiled at her as the lights dimmed. -0-

Unfortunately for me, I did not notice, as the lights dimmed for the second half the very worried old lady sat behind us who, as the show re-started, rushed to the nearest attendant and anxiously explain to her that the girl sat in front of her had some plan to blow up the chandelier in the theatre. So when suddenly the lights in the theatre came back on in the theatre, and all the actors looked confused as a voice came over the intercom

'Ladies and Gentlemen, we are sorry for the interuprion, however due to a safety risk we are going to have to evacuate the theatre. Please leave by the nearest exit and do not hesistate.' Everyone began bustling out of their seats and the curtain came down on the stage as Lilly began cursing blue murder.

'We get one show here in a shitting blue moon and theres a fucking 'safety risk'? what the hell is that about? I am going to find the mother-'

'Miss please do not move!' I span around just in time to see three cops in full safety gear pull their guns on me. Of course someone saw this, and began screaming.

'What on ear-'

'You are under arrest for conspiring to detonate an explosive in a public place, with intent to kill or injure civilians. Please put your hands on you head and step away from the screaming woman.' Lilly was screeching.

'What?! Please I have no ide-' I stepped two steps too far apparently.

'STOP YOUR MOVEMENT MA'AM.' A female officer approached me and began clasping handcuffs around my wrists.

'Jean what is going on?' Lilly shouted at me.

'I do-'

'Ma'am you have the right to remain silent. Miss, you must leave. There is an exit by the stage.' The police officer barked at her. Lilly scuttled out of the aisle, and out the door. I think she was scared, but the door was right by the stage, so she could have also just wanted to meet a cast member. I suspected the latter, however it wasn't deferring the fact that I was being led out of the theatre surrounded by a corpse of officers one of whom was holding a gun locked and loaded.

'Look I don't know what is going on-'

'Ma'am please do not talk.' The unnamed officer whispered something in the gun mans ear.

'Ma'am, you need to tell us where your explosive device is.'

'What?'

'Your explosive, the one that you referred to in the chandelier.' I could finally see where this was going.

'What? There was- is no device! I was joking to my friend!'

'Ma'am this is a matter of upmost importance. Do you know of any explosive device in this theatre?'

'N-'

At this point for what ever reason they decided to taze me.

-0-

Shit happens is a very, very accurate phrase.

Not only was I kept in jail over night, but I, or my parents, were fined two thousand dollars for the liability damage done to the theatre, the performers, and most of all the police.

Oh, and I was hospitalised for having an allergic reaction to the toilet paper in the prison.

My parents weren't pissed about the being arrested thing, surprising. That came later. My parents were pissed about the two thousand dollars. I was grounded on those means.

No, the crap about the theatre came later. Much later.

'I'm not talking to you.' Lilly was loading books into her bag at the end of the first day back at school after the summer vacation.

'Look come on, Lil! I didn't mean for that all to happen! I was joking with you!' I pleaded after her.

'Yeah, well great joke, Jinx.'

'Lil! Come on, it wasn't that bad-' she slammed her locker shut.

'Yes it was! How often does the thing you love come around- oh wait you read! And play violin! I never get to see shows, those tickets cost _one hundred dollars_, Jean. It was the first time in years, and you fucked it up. Yet again.'

'Lil, I'm really sorry.' I was pleading. I didn't think this was going to resolve itself easily.

'Yeah, well. Good for you. I've got to go.'

She stormed off down the corridor.

-0-

Although I didn't leave for another semester, that was the last time Lilly and I ever had a coherent conversation. She got swept up in some weird stuff when we weren't talking, and we just fell apart. It hurt.

But as they say, Shit happens.

Too much, sometimes.

_A/N: I would really appreciate reviews for this one. It went a completely different way from that which I expected, probably due to the fact that I am listening to music that really really makes me emotional (no prizes for guessing which sequel to which famous musical I am listening to). Let me know if it was too unhappy, I will do one more but I am sensing this is heading to an ultimatum which won't be the stalker. _

_I am happy to carry on this, after the book finishes, but I need you to let me know. I am sorry for the change in tune. _

_Hate me all you will. xx_


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